We’ve looked at quarterbacks and defensive backs. In our third installment, we take to the trenches to review the performance of three rising defensive tackles.

With the strength of the AFC residing in the North this season, it’s no surprise our Pro Bowl picks come predominantly from that division.

There is no way around it: Size matters in the NFL. That said, every so often a player outside the normal physical parameters is able to defy the odds and make his way to the NFL. Georgia LB Rennie Curran (5-foot-10 5/8, 229 pounds) is trying to become the next prospect to do just that.

Georgia DT Geno Atkins stared at a camera following his first 40-yard dash and made a celebratory gesture. Later, after his short shuttle run, he again looked into a camera, this time flashing a broad smile. Before 2004, that never would have happened.

The defensive linemen might have just completed the most entertaining two hours of bench pressing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Sunday’s bench-a-thon was pretty amped as the prospects became competitive.